allegations in a british court but it meant she had an affair with a married and be. here with r t live from moscow arminius now i will get straight to our top story this hour a nationwide general strike has paralyzed greece in the run up to thursday's crucial vote on a brand new package of tax hikes and job cuts flights have been grounded while schools shops and factories closed amid fears that vast demonstrations are now descending into clashes were r.c. sarah ferguson keeping a close eye on the situation for us in and now joins us live sara what is happening we're getting reports of clashes on the streets of the greek capital bring us up to date. let's leave it to the thousands of people who showed up it today to protest what we've seen at the front of the building is the clashes between the phrases the

right they probably say i hate a bit of what's happening right now you vote for a test just throwing molotov cocktails anything they can get their hands already. vocals into the front of the parliament building up the riot police we see the right knee set up a bit take us there's a lot of flash bangs being set off by the police as well you just get to see how much of that we can show you because it's getting very and there you go you got to get going off at the front again getting very very tense. very concerning because of the large numbers of people that attend. on the stays just under an hour ago and there are a lot of young people down there the u.s. may have been that turned out today to protest were out in force so obviously very very concerning indeed because this is one of the biggest protests that greece is saying is the biggest since the financial crisis started as he said hundreds of thousands you could see that again the situation getting. credibly. the protesting

against next round of the starting measures there's a vote in parliament to try and push this through the next couple of days and you've got the e.u. leaders meeting at the weekend to try and discuss exactly have to get out of this financial crisis but of course you can see here that the country really in chaos at the moment they've completely lost the public hold on to get very concerning indeed you want to really how they're going to be able to meet beyond this and whether they're going to be able as many people if full full to find a say she's deletion to this because what people are saying is that at the moment you're making overpopulation have caused the problem rather than positive solution and you know what you're seeing at the moment is really just the tip of the iceberg you can see just how angry they protesters are as they have had here is of a stereo see they've had killed they've had wage cuts they've had tax hikes it's been very very difficult for

a lot of the people in the country they've been describing to us exactly how it's a living under these measures and so you're saying this anger boiling over today as they stand outside the front of the parliament building protesting sarah obviously hundreds of thousands of people out on the street clashes are developing as we can watch unfold behind you tell us more about what some of the opposition is proposing as a result i mean does this mean greece might have to leave the euro zone are you hearing people talk about that as an option. well look people have said right from the very beginning the opposition is what was needed was an alternative plan the failure of year is a need is to adapt in this situation has been one of the biggest problems we just want to look she got some months to get going up there and rightly leaving. that's the one of the biggest problems they've said from the beginning there was no plan b. will clearly a plan b. was needed because the solutions that they have come up with have simply failed. i

want you seeing right now is that they playing out on the streets of athens if they don't find a solution that is tenable for the population so that it will soon be going to be predicted that will we see in the clashes break out it's very sad that we're seeing more of the same so discussions are going on all these votes are going to in parliament this is what the people are responding with that's very angry they can't live with people there and this is an example of all social solution is. there's not going to be a resolution to this crisis now obviously the greeks are very angry we see these clashes taking place but a good amount of those hundreds of thousands of people are fairly peaceful there tell us about how these recent clashes broke out take us through how this all began the scepter news. we seem to have lost sara there breaking news here on r t the biggest protests yet taking place in the greek capital since the country began spiraling out of control

in terms of its economy and trying to not have to default nationally will join our correspondent sara for who is there for us in our phones for now though you can follow her on her twitter feed as she follows these protests and clashes taking place in athens. well sunday will see a key crisis summit which will discuss the final details on greece's second bow out however disagreement between france and germany over financial support for the state may endanger the talks berlin is pushing for banks to accept costs of fifty to sixty percent on their greek bond holdings while paris says twenty one percent is enough financial analyst patrick young says president sarkozy is acting in his own interest. some governments particularly the french are trying to effectively just solid financial grab for g.e. and say oh no hold your nose for a moment this is our chief not such. huge crisis we can get away with about twenty

percent why do they say that because the problem is that ultimately these buying. could themselves end up being in need of government they launched the french government don't want to do that because the french government are deeply concerned about their own credit rating for the french government and mr sarkozy is terrified that he's going to lose the election next year and be thrown out of the abuser powerless as president. what with europe spece economic and political minds failing to get the greek economy back on track we as you what you think i should say could be a possible way out so make your votes on the art dot com home page this is what the votes are looking like so far almost half of you advise athens to follow america's footsteps and occupy an oil rich region just over a third say it's up to the greeks to work harder and spend the last nine percent believe greece needs to go cap in hand to the e.u.

and plead for more help while a small few back the idea of the country selling or mortgaging part of its territory to escape economic collapse top of the line how do you are saved vote on r t done. well later in the program we continue our coverage from the united states which has been overwhelmed by anti wall street protests. of police tactics against peaceful demonstrators dr even more and discontented protestors onto the streets of america. in other news nato forces in northern kosovo say they will step in to remove road barricades if local serbs haven't done so within twenty four hours the deadline has already been postponed twice stoking tension and uncertainty as to whether a compromise is possible in the standoff roof a notion is in the region for us. the deadline set by the nato led peacekeepers in

kosovo you known as k. four has already been postponed twice following demands from the serbian communities leaders here in kosovo the cost of an serbs and the ethnic minority in the mostly populated cost of a have been protesting against the ban in custom and police officers working in the northern part of course of a many are very skeptical there about a possible way out of this conflict described in it as a deadlock and say that would either turn into another frozen territory of conflict only to more violence just days ago when some of the barricades and were taken away throughout the course of eight people were injured several days ago i french officer from k four committed suicide at the checkpoint known as yog we haven't heard any official statement about his death but this is clear that the situation this even pass both serbs and albanians as well as international going to stations

functioning in kosovo found themselves is playing its negative and possibly even level. ahead of today's meeting between all the parties been involved in this conflict we have been able to speak to deputy serbian minister for costs over here and he told r.t. that everybody is looking for compromise right now but at the same time no one is ready to yield. well more reaction on that online for you right now on our to his facebook page you can watch our interview with serbia's chief negotiator in the standoff who explains why belgrade is so opposed to attempts to create a border between serbia and kosovo now you can also log on to our web site for background analysis and comments on the situation in kosovo there's plenty of other stories for you there as well including space crazy russian sounds glow not its rival to america's g.p.s. interpol position as it plans to pump the project with billions of dollars. and we

are for you and animated angle on the world headlines discover our cutting cartoons on our online humor hobb all that and much more for you at our t.v. time. fighting across syria is claiming lives on both sides amid growing global concerns the country is edging closer to a full blown civil war over a dozen troops have been killed recently by alleged army to factors following the u.n. warning of more opposition activists taking up arms tests are sillier reports now many are still quick to only demonize the assad regime. this is the office of the traitor one of the messages on the wall these rail and the u.s. were able to buy you with a thousand dollars says another. this is where several opposition leaders work like

. he had been a vocal critic and had spent fourteen years in jail a very bad time he recalls like many opposition members he thinks there's really very little room for because alleviation under the current environment. because troops must be with you that. your voice is she ok. listening to people. he insists peaceful protesters were forced to respond to attacks by security forces but he acknowledges that now it's simply not black and white responsibility for the violence goes both ways. and. this killing civilians some civilians killing. soldiers son was one of the first soldiers killed since protests began in the country he was killed in on march

twenty three. all foreign media acknowledge that too many of the army and national guards have lost their lives so how can some people say that on groups didn't exist . the civilians and the members like my son the members killed other members this is impossible the media that says it is plain lying. and variant lies the problem the moment. there is confusion about what's really going on in the formation is taken by each side and used to defend their position so if you're hearing the arguments from one side. amid this atmosphere of confusion and misinformation the push for reforms continues what's the enduring very forms this is another question whenever a new legislation is made we see an escalation of the security situation in syria. but we cannot absolutely put the blame on the government as i mean some circles

trying to propagate the voices from both sides are calling for dialogue to sit down and talk to the syrians themselves agree that if this crisis is to be resolved that foundation of trust should be first laid down but with each threat or death syria respond the rise in an already widening political gap. damascus. and libya the new interim government has been a greeting some high profile guests u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton she would like to see colonel gadhafi captured or killed we examine why she decided to take such an uncompromising position. also coming up miraculous escape for a modern day at robinson caruso discovered only by check out the man who fought for his life in the wilderness for over two weeks. but first a new wave of protests erupted in new york as anti wall street activists accuse the

city's police of an excessive use of force hundreds of people have been arrested during the five week long protest across the country as police were condemned for using pepper spray loosely confident now reports the movement has got the backing of most americans. the popularity of the movement does seem to be growing not just among the demonstrators but with the regular americans as well in fact here in new york a recent poll that came out showed that seven in ten new yorkers support the movement and identify with the big frustrations the major frustrations that the demonstrators have expressed namely what they see as corruption in wall street in a washington undue influence by wall street over. the political system in washington d.c. in the nation's capital now we have sued unfortunately an increase in some barren land and heavy handed response by the police department here in the new york city area you see of course the mass arrests over the weekend in times square as well as

arrests that have spread across the country for example in seattle a total of nine protesters were arrested after failing to evacuate the camp after being asked by police to do so in chicago about one hundred seventy five protesters were arrested in arizona more than one hundred protesters were arrested after demonstrating and what they say is a nonviolent civil disobedience tactic we do know that several of the officers implicated on video with some of the violent tactics are being investigated now while the movement does not seem to show any signs of it giving up steam in fact that there's a new global day of action that's being planned for up to over twenty ninth not just here in new york but all across the country as well as across the world in different cities worldwide we also know that the financial situation for the protesters here in new york at the least has improved protesters recently announced that they have earned some three hundred thousand dollars from donations both money

that's dropped and bought buckets throughout the park as well as to online donations what they will do with that money remains to be seen but they are getting more and more support it appears at least by the american people. that was our lucy coffin of their get more news analysis in the latest pictures and comments from the u.s. occupy wall street protests on all of our social network accounts. a russian woman accused of spying in the u.k. has begun her fight in court against deportation cocteau's attorney vitter admits

having an affair with a politician she used to work for but denies accusations of being a russian intelligence honeytrap for the m.p. bennett is following the case in london. the main point it was focused on in the trial so far has been to live yet as relationship with mike hancock the member of parliament she was working for as a researcher up until two thousand and ten short before her arrest and you know it's always rumored after her arrest that she was conducting an inappropriate relationship with him because he's married and has emerged as fact yes there that she was conducting an affair with him for four years from two thousand and six when they met to two thousand and ten shortly before her arrest now it also yesterday in the trial that she was actually writing about this in her diary we heard an excerpt from that about the first night they met which is when she was working as a chaperone for foreign diplomats in moscow he approached her for sex that first

night offering her a cd and money even to try and persuade her she said no but their relationship did blossom soon after that when she moved to england to study for a masters it was suggested yesterday by the representative for the government the home office which is trying to deport her suggesting that she was working as a spy that she was tasked by the russian intelligence services to work as a honeytrap targeting mike can call up the m.p. because of his position it also emerged that. she was going to actually had previously conducted other relationships with other senior government officials in diplomats one with a thirty year old dutch diplomat when she was eighteen and also later an affair with nato representatives as well she denies the claims that she was working as a spy she admits to the affairs that she says she's innocent that's why she's trying to fight deportation case is expected to conclude in six days time.

well during her unannounced visit to libya u.s. chief diplomat hillary clinton stated washington hopes to see ousted leader colonel gadhafi captured or killed professor paul sheldon foote from california state university who's worked in a number of arab countries says clinton's attitude is unsurprising as you know already america and many others were jim true economic interest in libya. which is actually amazing because gadhafi was doing everything that the west wanted in fact he was wasting his people's money on investments and a soccer team in italy. financial times those are not in the interest of the libyan people. i don't know what the lesson is supposed to be for other leaders around the world if what more can you do for the west and gadhafi was doing it don't forget who hillary could in two thousand if you go to youtube and type in who are we could nobody really run as a candidate for president you threaten to kill every man woman and child tourney

run into a wastebasket there and. we now return to our top story the streets of options were arguably the biggest protest in years is now descending in to violence people they're venting their anger against a new package of austerity measures the country is likely to adopt as soon as thursday are to sour for those there and now joins us live sorry the nation on the edge what scenes are you witnessing right now give us a look at what's happening in central athens really seeing that we've seen the violent clashes breaking out again between the riot police and the protests if i just show you what's happening at the front of the parliament building still you've got protests this mother tough coattails into you will survive plays we've seen take us already be yes' a lot of flash bangs going off that's the loud noises that a train into the crowd to stun the people that as he said the biggest protest to greece is seen since this financial crisis started it's estimated in the hundreds

of thousands and it's a really the situation very tense in a lot of concern about this escalating now because the people here are extremely angry about what's been going on the credit things going on in parliament to trying to street even lower starting measures we got the year is a need is meeting for nice summit at the weekend to try and decide just what to do with this debt crisis this crippling greece and we're on the street sally a token. to the people here and there was a big turnout from the east me even so again that's very worried there were a lot of young people you can just say i'll show you again what's happening outside the front you still got there is going up to gasp a nice to get on the crowd yells are saying to be concerning because there was a strong east turnout today and they were saying the fighting not just for the future their country but for their future to the state asserting you can see the masses as a child despite there's really nowhere for them to go the streets are absolutely packed with people not just on syntagma but all the main streets leading off that

is well sir it's a there's nowhere really for people to run from if this situation escalates any more you can see the riot police to suring up their numbers as well they've got hundreds outside the front of the parliament building really very concerning indeed no wondering exactly where this is going to end as we said the biggest protest to greece the same for a long while a lot of anger on the streets of athens said today and you of course have been covering these protests in greece throughout the year what was the last straw for these people. who we seen happening time and again is that there's been a huge divergence between what the government says be trying to implement for the year it's a needed city discussing a lot of the people here have actually been asking for and this really results and what you're seeing today again this huge public anger that ends in these violent clashes a vicious cycle that they don't seem able to break they keep pushing through these

measures and we keep hearing about these rescue plans and really they seem to fail every time in a lot of the people that i've spoken to here in greece a lot of the analysts are heavily criticized this tax base solution to the problem they keep trying to get money from the general populations to plug this massive deficit in the budget that these people here simply have reached breaking. they don't have the money they're an evil what you're seeing at the moment ted today is the very tip of it behind this anger by years of a stereotype that the people of faith most of the average greeks is seeing their salaries cut by around thirty percent they're being job losses left right and center and on top of this the tax hike have really prefer untenable the people here you've got to take us going off again in the background i mean it really is a very tense situation it's been described as a make or break week the great these big decisions coming up but the people

chancing in the balance is saying that they've had enough they don't want these decisions that are imposed on them by the choice care by the year it's only did they just simply ranged breaking point and a lot of them were saying today the chance of getting on in the crowd will we ever let this guy and their response was never the not willing to back down and we can see by the numbers that it turned out today that they're very serious about this as a different solution if needed and that's what many people here in the country are calling for they said that the people have been made the enemy the people at being made to pay for mistakes that went slowly that inside there is as we said she's a man of public anger we can certainly see that as these clashes unfold on the streets of athens artists our first will be there throughout the day for us and we will most certainly be crossing back to you thanks for that update. up next it's business here in r.t. with you to stay with us.

hello and a very warm welcome to the business update russia and most of its c.i.s. partners have agreed to create a free trade zone the simplifier terms were achieved at a meeting of commonwealth prime ministers on tuesday the move could significantly increase trade between the countries it's a regular reason fifty percent in the first half of the year to more than one hundred thirty billion dollars more in acosta has the details. this comes after two decades of debate and even though it's not a done deal it's definitely head in there and causing a lot of stir and the pro says most all of the c.i.s. countries have signed on and those include armenia valorous kazakhstan kyrgyzstan moldova russia of course is ballast of chicken stock and ukraine the country still thinking about it and could i said what john respect the sun answer commander sun and they're expected to make a decision a by the end of the year now a closer in union with the former states as bottom are putin's priority since

announcing this kind of the see in the upcoming presidential elections the prime minister says that will cancel export and import duties on certain groups of goods but at this time as a raise concerns especially with the government considering creating a eurasian union which some say is intended to compete with the european union and the fact that the e.u. started with free trade and now has some of my summers on alerts internally it's seen as a precursor to russia's and tree into the w t o it's especially as some of the participants are already members and the word here is it's not about competing over placing anything it's all about providing a better conditions for us that mission move joints and surprises and increases the competitiveness of the economies involved. and a quick check on the markets oil is trading near its highest price in more than a month off to goldman sachs predicted upside potential i mean signs us brits stockpiles are increasing less roughly than previously forecast brand plunge is

trading at one hundred ten dollars a barrel while the w t i is that eighty eight dollars per barrel. european stock so high i mean conflicting newspaper reports germany and france have agreed to further boost the euro area as bailout fund banking shares are leading the games on the footsie in other news from the region moody's has downgraded spain's credit rating with a negative for cost. and finally the russian markets moving between gains and losses as oil prices fell urals crude lost one point five percent and investors here are also better europe will solve its debt crisis after the guardian newspaper afford one of rescue fund boost. that's it for now more business stories in less than one us time for years so do stay with us.

here with r t live from moscow our top stories at four thirty pm enough is enough the hundreds of thousands desperately in debt greeks spilled onto the streets venting their anger over a new draft of tough austerity measures clashes have already broken out between police and protesters who say they are fed up with attempts to stop the country's financial freefall. strained standstill it's a desperate search for compromise in northern kosovo as nato forces stick to their ultimatum urging local serve protesters to clear road blocks or be forced to go.